A Certain Beauty in Having No Brain

My name is Liu Weiqiang.

The older man, flustered and confused, gave Xue Ming his name.

Xue Ming: "A movie director? The one who made 'Infernal Affairs'?"

Strong Bro immediately shook his head, crossed his hands over his stomach, hunched over and leaned closer to Xue Ming: "No, it's just the same name, just the same name."

He then tried to ease the awkwardness with a laugh.

"In my hometown, we use generational names. I belong to the 'Wei' generation, and my younger brother's name is Liu Weihong. It just so happens to match up."

Xue Ming glanced into the carriage, decided to put the students' matter aside for now, grabbed Weiqiang's arm, and pulled him to the connecting passage.

"Come with me."

Upon reaching the relatively well-ventilated movable partition door, Xue Ming offered Strong Bro a cigarette. The two leaned against the swaying rubber partition wall, and the atmosphere seemed to ease a bit.

Xue Ming thought to herself—this older brother seems to be different from Red Sister; he's a timid and reserved person.

I only asked for a name, but Strong Bro wanted to explain it in two or three sentences, clarifying the generational names and the identity of his elder brother. It seemed that there was nothing to say, so he forced a topic to try to prove something.

The man was very dissatisfied with Red Sister's arrangement, but felt helpless about it.

Originally, the BOSS wanted to assign this waiter to Red Sister; Ming De's judgment is never wrong.

--If Strong Bro is Red Sister's destined person, then this fate is inseparable and cannot be severed.

The two of them are now like passengers and waiters who have just signed a contract, but are about to tear it up and go their separate ways. There are two things Xue Ming can't understand.

Red Sister and Strong Bro have reached a consensus on this matter. Like a divorce agreement, if both agree, why should Jiang Xueming read the judgment? Why can't they just decide for themselves?

Another thing is that, although Red Sister keeps saying --

I don't need this servant, I don't need this savior.

But after meeting Liu Weiqiang, Xue Ming became suspicious. Because Red Sister had never made things clear or explicit.

She never directly refused the waiter, nor did she discuss the matter with the BOSS. Even when she went to deal with the hunter, she would first send Strong Bro away, as if she were protecting her waiter.

"Gunsmith Master" Liu Weiqiang whispered, "My employer is Dong Hong. Has Dong Hong told you that she wants to change the waiters?"

Xue Ming: "I've said it before, but I've always wondered why I had to bring it up when you clearly knew about it and she knew about it too."

Strong Bro chuckled dryly, "Oh, that's causing trouble for the gunsmith teacher."

Xue Ming: "Red Sister told me about her ex-husband, saying that you are very similar to her first husband—that might be why she doesn't want to face you directly."

Strong Bro suddenly lowered his head and said, "Oh."

Xue Ming continued, "You don't want to get entangled with Red Sister either, right?"

Strong Bro: "Let me tell you the truth."

Xue Ming lit a cigarette for Strong Bro.

--Strong Bro continued speaking.

"I was originally a passenger. I came to the Nine Realms in my early twenties to ask for medicine for my father. I had a family and a daughter."

Xue Ming: "Isn't this great?"

Strong Bro: "I've divorced the waiter."

Xue Ming: "Has she changed, or have you changed?"

Strong Bro: "Everything has changed."

Xue Ming: "Tell me in detail."

Strong Bro: "I used to be an armed forces employee, and later I transferred to the Second Transportation Bureau to do logistics for the Winged Cavalry Regiment. Four years later, the leaders asked me to be a station manager, so I went—I didn't get many days off throughout the year, and the feelings faded."

Xue Ming: "Unstable job? What's the reason?"

Strong Bro Qiang chuckled and scratched his head, "I don't know either."

Xue Ming: "There has to be an explanation. Even if you've raised a dog for several years, the owner will still have feelings for it. You said you were an armed employee and had camaraderie with the people in the warband. It's impossible that you can't find a good home."

Strong Bro's expression immediately turned cold. "Maybe it's because I like to meddle in other people's business."

There are many different interpretations of this "meddling in other people's business."

Xue Ming: "Offended a lot of people?"

Strong Bro: "It's not much, really. I'm not going to say anymore, I just can't control my mouth."

Xue Ming roughly understood--

--Sister Red Sister's husband died because he offended the underworld, probably because he couldn't control his mouth.

It's not easy for Strong Bro to have survived this long. Life has worn down his edges, and there are many things he can't say or doesn't want to mention anymore.

He didn't have a stable job, and every time he changed careers, he had to start from scratch.

"So," Strong Bro said hesitantly, "You know, I can't stay in one place for long. We've broken up and gotten back together so many times, and we've had countless arguments. If the bowls or cups at home break, we can buy new ones. We can move and rent houses from place to place. But if the feelings are gone, they're really gone."

Xue Ming: "Your daughter wants to live with you?"

"Xiao Min is thirteen years old and she's coming to Galahad to study." Strong Bro's eyes lit up when he talked about his daughter. "When she was six, my ex-wife and I divorced. She said she wanted to live with her dad. I don't know what she meant, maybe... maybe kids just like new things. Heh, gunsmith teacher, don't you think so? -- I'm not home all year round, how could she be affectionate towards me?"

Xue Ming: "How long have you been a waiter?"

Strong Bro: "Just for two months, I want to ask the boss for a stable job, for Xiao Min's sake. She's grown up and is going to study in Balason. I want to be stationed in the Nine Realms permanently—it'll be convenient to pick her up and drop her off; she can find me in just one stop."

Xue Ming: "So, you became a waiter just for your daughter?"

Strong Bro didn't answer, unwilling to admit it, nor did he want to deny it.

Xue Ming finally understood Red Sister's little scheme.

--The honest and straightforward waiter seemed to be still hesitating, and didn't mention anything about his employer from beginning to end.

What do you think of this employer?

Strong Bro: "It's good, it's good. But..."

Xue Ming: "Is there a 'but'?"

Strong Bro: "I'm not good enough for you."

Before Xue Ming could say anything more--

--Strong Bro then proceeded to offer a series of explanations, his tone agitated.

"She's powerful. I know she's not an ordinary person. She looks down on me, doesn't she? I'm so old, with a daughter, no stable job, no fixed address, and not much money. She just arrived in the Nine Realms, and she chased me away without listening to what I had to say, as if she knows everything and even killed the hunter who was following her."

"My health isn't good anymore. I can't work in the military like I used to. I definitely don't have the guts to risk my life against hunters. My eyesight isn't good either. I can't possibly let a woman protect me."

At this point, Strong Bro suddenly looked up and saw the gunsmith teacher's increasingly serious expression.

"Sorry, I'm not going to continue."

"I find this very strange." Xue Ming frowned, finding it utterly unbelievable. "From what you're saying, before, when you were dying, all you wanted was for your wife and daughter to stay by your side. Because you wanted to go out and make your way in the world, you were fearless, even if it meant offending your superiors and being kicked around like a football—but now that the boss has assigned you this employer, why are you backing down?"

Strong Bro kept smoking, head down and silent, as if his pride had been hurt.

Xue Ming continued, "Your daughter Xiao Min wants to stay with you. Do you think she's just looking for something new? Does she want to be by your side forever just because she doesn't see her father often enough?"

Strong Bro: "Otherwise."

Xue Ming: "I'm afraid that's not the reason. Maybe when you got divorced, you seemed more like a child. She felt that her mother could take care of herself, but you couldn't, and that you two had to depend on each other."

Strong Bro felt embarrassed, but Xue Ming immediately smiled and said...

"It was all just my guess, all just a guess. Don't take it to heart. I'm sorry I offended you."

Immediately afterwards, Xue Ming offered Strong Bro a cigarette, and the two squatted down under the rubber wall.

Xue Ming, "How old are you?"

Strong Bro replied, "Forty-three years old."

Xue Ming immediately pressed, "You're only three years older than Red Sister, how can you say you're old?"

Strong Bro immediately replied, "My mindset is different now."

"I have other things to do." Xue Ming straightened up, preparing to go to the carriage. "You should adjust your mindset first."

Strong Bro stood up, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"All adjusted?" Xue Ming circled around and returned to Strong Bro with a forced smile, which made Strong Bro feel quite uncomfortable.

"I just thought, Xiao Min needs to go to school, and I want to be by her side," Strong Bro explained. "It's so simple, really so simple. I never expected the boss to assign me an employer."

Waiters of Liu Weiqiang's age are actually a rare breed at Nine Realms Station.

Yang Chun, Xiao Qi's boss, works in the housekeeping department. She's 37 and unmarried, but the boss has been unable to arrange a relationship with her. This is because Yang Chun has never considered marriage or dating, nor does she need a partner.

Based on the observations of Homo sapiens' material composition using Polarized Sextant by a good cat, the management method for allocating waiters and passengers was adopted.

--Strong Bro, in an attempt to balance work and life, submitted his resume to a dating website, but unexpectedly caught the eye of his boss, who insisted on arranging a relationship for him.

Jiang Xueming: "You've been holding back for so long, and this is all you wanted to say?"

Liu Weiqiang: "Oh, Gunsmith teacher, there's something else. Xiao Min is also a freshman. If possible, could you help look after her?"

As he said this, Strong Bro ran to the luggage rack and found a small box. He took off his gloves, wiped the oil off the box, opened the lid, and inside were Blood Butterfly Shopping Coupons and Hui Stone Currency.

"This money is what I saved from my previous jobs," Strong Bro said with a smile. "It's all rather shabby, don't mind."

Jiang Xueming first took the small iron box, counted the money, and found the total price to be around 112,000 yuan.

He then observed the oil stains on the metal box, which resembled the maintenance oil from a railway locomotive depot; they were old grime. The banknotes were also yellowed and looked shriveled.

Xue Ming shoved the tin box back into Strong Bro's hand, saying, "I don't need the money, and I can't help you with this."

Strong Bro became nervous. "Why? Aren't you a teacher? I want Xiao Min to be assigned to a different department, class, and dormitory when she enters the school. Also, if she gets into trouble, you should pay more attention to her."

Xue Ming: "You have to do this yourself. I can't be her mother."

As he said this, Xue Ming patted Strong Bro on the shoulder.

"Think about it, if every parent said the same thing to me, asking for my help, wouldn't your money be wasted? Besides, I'm very simple-minded. No matter how much money you give me, I really will use it on your daughter. She's going to study in Harad for five years, with room and board provided by the school. How can she possibly spend 110,000? What do you want her to do with that money? Buy cigarettes? Compare her family's financial situation with other classmates? Can you afford that?"

When the tin box fell back into Liu Weiqiang's hands, the middle-aged man was dazed and his face was full of resentment.

He was speechless, only able to watch the gunsmith walk towards the carriage, a deep sense of powerlessness washing over him. He knew—

This could be a very important opportunity for my daughter, Xiao Min, almost a turning point in her life.

For him, his daughter's future was almost entirely dependent on the school; the friendships she formed with teachers and classmates would determine her future job and life.

The gunsmith is a big shot favored by the boss. If this teacher could help his daughter, even just by saying a few words, it might change her fate.

He felt his face burning, because the old A Qiang wasn't like this. If he had woken up sooner, or been a little smarter, perhaps he wouldn't have spent most of his life wandering, and could have found a safe haven and lived a peaceful life with his ex-wife.

Can you compare?

Xue Ming's words were like a resounding slap in the face.

--All of A Qiang's self-esteem vanished with those words.

To put it nicely, after wandering the underworld for so many years, he still had to beg the BOSS for a job at the age of forty-three. He couldn't find a place to stay among the various agencies and the Senate, but in the end, he returned to the Nine Realms without forgetting his original intentions. It was a way of returning the favor.

To put it bluntly, they were met with a cold shoulder, left with unfulfilled ambitions, and pinned all their hopes on the next generation.

Strong Bro, holding the tin box, squatted at the connection between the carriages and made a phone call to his daughter.

"Xiao Min."

"Dad! I'm at the school gate! How are you and Aunt Wu doing?"

"Everything's fine, everything's going smoothly."

"Then you have to live up to expectations! I saw you all smiles when you first met—I haven't seen you so happy in a long time."

"Has your mom not contacted you recently?"

"Why bother with her? She can take care of herself; she's an old hand at this."

"You're going to study, and she doesn't even care about something this important?"

"He has his own family now, Dad. Wake up and stop acting like a child."

"Xiao Min, I'm sorry."

At this point, Strong Bro held his phone above his head, bent over, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and blew his nose hard.

When he brought the phone back to his ear, his tone became casual.

"Today I went to Galahad's teacher, hoping they could help take care of you. I offered them money and gifts, but they didn't even look at me. Dad suddenly feels so useless."

"Oh, actually, there's no need. I asked some senior students on the same train, and they said Galahad has a pretty good school spirit and discipline."

"It's not that simple, daughter. You don't understand—society is like a jungle. Tiger cubs and antelope cubs both have to learn to survive. School is one of the few places that can transform a person."

"Okay, okay, I understand."

"Balason is damp and cold, so remember to wear plenty of layers."

"Okay! Okay!"

"You know everything, and you don't want to listen to me anymore?"

"Dad, you should take care of yourself first. With your appearance, Aunt Dong Hong definitely won't be interested in you—seize the opportunity! I think Aunt Hong is so cool. If you come back for summer vacation, you'll really let her run away."

Before he finished speaking, Xue Ming circled around and returned to Strong Bro.

Liu Weiqiang looked up, covering his phone, but accidentally hung up on his daughter.

"Gunsmith master, is there anything else?"

Xue Ming squatted down and tapped the iron box in Strong Bro's arms.

Strong Bro immediately beamed with joy, thinking that the gunsmith was willing to accept this gift.

Unexpectedly, Xue Ming slipped a cigarette into Strong Bro's palm.

He pointed to the cigarette pack and muttered each word slowly and deliberately.

"I forgot something: smoking is harmful to your health."

He then pulled out a fifty-yuan bill from the tin box.

"This box is on you."

After doing all that, Xue Ming didn't say anything more and returned to the carriage.

Strong Bro was completely bewildered, unable to understand what the gunsmith was thinking. He held the cigarette case thoughtfully and looked into the carriage through the door. He saw the gunsmith talking to two new students, still wearing that forced, business-like smile.

He recognized the two important people—

--They are all children from wealthy families.

One of them is the daughter of a department head at the Transportation Bureau.

One of them is the nephew of the governor of the Sixth District.

The two kids met their gunsmith teacher and started discussing the recent activities of the nameless Big Sister, rattling off a long, rambling story. They had a kind of mature air about them, behaving like old men who understood the ways of the world despite their young age [weird].

There are two items on the table, both gifts prepared for the gunsmith.

"This is too precious." Xue Ming pushed one of the gift boxes away, trying to push it back in front of the boy.

The gift box contained a Patek Philippe watch, a luxury item that watch enthusiasts in the underworld cannot ignore.

"Teacher, please don't be so polite." The boy wrote his name, pushed the note next to his watch, and told the teacher to remember it carefully, "This was specially asked by my uncle to be given to you. If you refuse to accept it, I can't explain it to my uncle."

Jiang Xueming took the note but still returned the gift box to the boy.

"That doesn't make sense."

The boy's smile froze. His once vibrant, sunny, and cheerful expression had changed. The sharp features of a European could not hide any emotion, and it was clear that he was angry—this gunsmith was not giving the consul any face whatsoever.

"It's really not about the money," the boy insisted.

Jiang Xueming glanced at the name on the note and casually asked, "What's the matter, Daniel?"

Daniel: "It's friendship—Gunsmith Master, I think if you accept this watch, we'll be friends."

Jiang Xueming: "So that's how it is?"

Daniel: "Yes, this watch shouldn't mean much to you; you're not short of money."

Jiang Xueming: "Oh"

Daniel continued, "Our family isn't short of money, but my uncle thought that Patek Philippe watches are rare even in the underground market, and their craftsmanship is extremely high. You should like this mechanical watch. It's a token of my uncle's appreciation."

Jiang Xueming remained silent and accepted the watch.

Another girl did the same, pushing the jewelry box in front of Xue Ming and writing a note with her name on it.

"Gunsmith master, this is for your wife."

Jiang Xueming took the note and read it carefully, "Oh, so you're still thinking about your teacher's wife? Have you two met?"

Daniel: "Hahahaha"

The girl blushed and explained in a low voice, "I've never seen it before."

Jiang Xueming muttered the name on the note, "Kaycee. Kaycee Gerrard, these English names of yours are so hard to remember."

"My father said that it's a huge good thing if the teacher can remember my name," Kaycee said.

"You did a good job with the investigation." Xue Ming was quite surprised when she saw the jewelry in the gift box. It was a very exquisite set of veil, earrings and necklace for the bride's wedding, but there was no wedding ring, because the Steel Heart was originally a wedding ring.

Daniel immediately said, "It was Red Sister who specifically instructed me to do it. She mentioned it before, and Uncle remembered it right away."

Kaycee added, "Yes, when Red Sister found her father, he was overjoyed and wanted to know the details of your wedding."

Xue Ming tapped the jewelry box and then asked, "Is this also a symbol of friendship?"

Kaycee was still wondering--

--Why does this teacher ask so many questions? The way she repeatedly confirms things, so cautiously, creates a strange sense of ritual.

"That's right, it's friendship."

Xue Ming: "It has nothing to do with money, right?"

Kaycee: "Our family isn't short of money."

Xue Ming: "You don't need me to do anything for you, do you?"

Kaycee gave an awkward laugh and looked at Daniel beside her.

"Won't."

"No, it won't."

Xue Ming took the jewelry box and immediately stood up.

After watching and listening from afar, Strong Bro felt very uneasy.

That is, until the gunsmith handed the watch and jewelry to Strong Bro.

Strong Bro looked completely bewildered, like a newborn baby.

"What do you mean, gunsmith master?"

Xue Ming patted Strong Bro's face.

"Your employer sent these two children to me. Keep the things; they're worth quite a bit of money."

Strong Bro kept pushing it out, but halfway through, he heard Xue Ming tapping the metal box.

"You yourself wouldn't accept it, and you expect me to? That's asking too much of you."

Strong Bro: "That wasn't for me, Gunsmith Master."

Xue Ming smiled and said, "Red Sister asked me to rob the rich to help the poor—don't you want your daughter to be protected from being bullied at school? Just accept these two gifts; what I can't do, they can."

Strong Bro's mind hadn't quite caught up yet.

--He was like pitiful Tom, manipulated by Red Sister, possessing a kind of beauty born of a lack of common sense.

Xue Ming gave a few more instructions before leaving.

"I think Red Sister isn't looking down on you. The exact words she said to me were, 'Help me get on my waiter's good side,' but what does 'get on my good side' mean? I didn't understand at first. You adults always like to beat around the bush."

Xue Ming pointed to the veil and jewelry for the wedding.

"Later, I heard from your daughter and Red Sister that you should personally hand this thing to her."

--Then he pointed to the watch.

"As for this form, you can handle it yourself."

When the gunsmith returned to the carriage and faced Daniel and Kaycee again, the two kids were whispering to each other, like they'd been caught talking in class. They were flustered and childish, and it seemed that the gunsmith's act of giving away the gift was disrespectful to them. They were talking a lot behind his back.

Xue Ming: "What's wrong? Is something the problem?"

Daniel immediately asked, "Are you on good terms with that waiter?"

Xue Ming admitted, "He is Red Sister's waiter."

Kaycee suddenly realized, "Oh, nothing's wrong."

Daniel immediately said, "My uncle was thinking that it would be wonderful if you could wear that watch at your wedding; it could also serve as a testament to your love."

"Is it your uncle who went to study in Galahad?" Xue Ming said with a smile, "You haven't even registered yet, but you've brought your uncle along. It seems he's very studious."

"It's not about whether it's easy or difficult to learn." Daniel hadn't quite grasped the point yet. "It's me going to school, not my uncle."

Kaycee chimed in, "The wedding jewelry is also for my teacher's wife."

Xue Ming interrupted, "Look at my memory! Oh dear! Kaycee, I almost forgot your name, I'm so sorry. The things have already been delivered, should I go and get them back?"

After hearing this, both children lost their temper.

They looked at the gunsmith teacher and felt something was very, very strange, but they couldn't quite put their finger on why.

Why would Ming De appoint such a VIP as a front man for an unknown person?

--He has a kind of beauty that comes from a lack of brains.